Oral Answers to Questions

Anna McMorrin Excerpts

Wednesday 4th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Shivani Raja (Leicester East) (Con)]

1. What discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on reducing NHS waiting lists in Wales.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Anna McMorrin)]

I thank NHS staff and care workers for their tireless work, but I also understand the frustration felt by people in Wales that waiting lists are going up under the Plaid Cymru Government. Just last week the Chancellor announced an additional £450 million for the Welsh Government to deliver public services. That is on top of the largest spending review settlement since devolution. I hope that the Welsh Government use this funding wisely to improve NHS services and reduce waiting lists.

[Shivani Raja]

Welsh Government figures show that, as of March 2025, there were more than 30,000 Welsh people waiting for NHS treatment in England, which is almost three times the number in 2011. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with the Welsh Government about managing this cross-border demand, reducing waiting times in Wales and ensuring that services in England have the capacity to meet the needs of patients on both sides of the border?

[Anna McMorrin]

Wales is the home of the NHS, and I am proud of the way that Welsh Labour has always been its fiercest defender, even in the face of Tory austerity. Welsh Labour brought those waiting lists down for 10 consecutive months before the last election. They are now rising under the Plaid Cymru Government, and we need to see clear action from the Welsh Government to bring them down. We regularly have discussions on how we can do that.

[Jessica Morden (Newport East) (Lab)]

As the Minister has just said, NHS waiting lists have soared to a 10-month high since Plaid Cymru’s election, despite the progress that was being made as they came down under Welsh Labour. Will the Minister join me in urging Plaid to make cutting waiting lists a priority, especially as we enter these winter months, when NHS pressures are at their greatest?

[Anna McMorrin]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Waiting lists are going up under Plaid Cymru after the Welsh Labour Government brought them down for 10 months straight. Welsh Labour has always prioritised the NHS, including through free prescriptions, mental health support via 111, free car parking in hospitals, women’s health hubs and specialist mental health support in every school. Those were Welsh Labour decisions based on Welsh Labour values, and I urge the Plaid Cymru Government to honour them, perhaps by using the £450 million in additional funding that this UK Labour Government announced at the Budget just last week.

[Llinos Medi (Ynys Môn) (PC)]

2. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the autumn Budget 2026 on Wales.

--- Later in debate ---

[Carolyn Harris (Neath and Swansea East) (Lab)]

4. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in defence spending on Wales.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Anna McMorrin)]

This Government are delivering the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the cold war by investing £298 billion over the next four years to strengthen our national security and keep us safe. Wales is well placed to benefit from this investment, with 20,000 defence jobs already in Wales. Every pound that we invest in defence should be judged by what it does. We want to ensure that all investment brings jobs and skills, and strengthens our national security.

[Carolyn Harris]

It is disappointing to see the Plaid Welsh Government decide to delay defence investment decisions in Wales, including on DARC—the deep space advanced radar capability—in Pembrokeshire. Welsh Labour will always take the defence of Wales seriously, even if Plaid will not. Can the Minister update me on the Welsh Government’s commitment to establishing defence technical excellence colleges in Wales, so we can get on with training up the next generation of defence experts?

[Anna McMorrin]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that Labour will always put the defence and security of the Welsh people first. That is why we announced last week that, if the Welsh Government continue to drag their feet on committing to a Wales defence technical excellence college, the UK Government stand ready to step in where Plaid will not. With the Scottish Government already making clear their commitment to DTECs in Scotland, I strongly urge the Welsh Plaid Cymru Government to come to the table and work with us, so that we can protect our security and create the jobs of the future.

[Ben Obese-Jecty (Huntingdon) (Con)]

The Ajax programme at the General Dynamics land systems factory is obviously a huge employer in Merthyr Tydfil, but with the Government unable to get Ajax back on track and no guarantee of any defence exports, all work at the factory is due to stop after the vehicles have been upgraded to capability drop 4. What are the Government doing to ensure that the jobs at that factory remain beyond the completion of the work on the Ajax programme?

[Anna McMorrin]

The hon. Member makes a very good point. General Dynamics is a very important company, and I have had many conversations with it about its investment and the continuation of the Ajax programme. We know about the challenges that the programme has encountered, but considerable efforts have been made to resolve them and drive forward the programme. That organisation invests hugely in the local community, delivering high-quality jobs, and part of our £50 million defence growth deal is to ensure that this will continue well into the future.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Anna McMorrin]

I thank the hon. Member for his question, but I think he may have a short memory. It was his Government who cut the Army to its smallest size since Napoleonic times and short-changed the equipment plan by £17 billion. In stark contrast, this Chancellor announced a £298 billion investment in defence over the next four years. We are working at pace to deliver the development growth deal across the country, with high-quality jobs and investment across Wales. I am urging the Plaid Cymru Government to stop at nothing, to work with us and to ensure that we deliver security for the people of Wales and those high-quality jobs.

[Mr Alex Barros-Curtis (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

5. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to strengthen Wales’s place in the Union.

--- Later in debate ---

[John Cooper (Dumfries and Galloway) (Con)]

6. Whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on Wales’s role in the UK’s defence.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Anna McMorrin)]

I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on defence and many other matters. We are fully funding the £15 billion defence investment plan, strengthening our armed forces, investing in cutting-edge technology and creating nearly 60,000 additional industry jobs across the UK. Continued uncertainty around the Welsh Government’s approach to defence, and delays to important projects such as DARC—Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability—risk deterring investment and jobs from Wales, as well as risking our national security.

[John Cooper]

Plaid, the SNP and Sinn Féin: the separatist cabal trying to break up Britain, with little regard for UK defence. In Scotland, we already have a hostile environment for our critical defence industry. What can the Secretary of State do in Wales to prevent the same fate befalling key workers there?

[Anna McMorrin]

This is absolutely such a critical industry and topic for our country to work on together as a strong United Kingdom. The dither and delay from the Plaid Welsh Government is undermining our Welsh defence sector. It is having a very real impact on jobs, investment and opportunities, and our communities deserve better. I once again urge the Plaid Welsh Government to work with us and stop the delay.

[Nick Thomas-Symonds (Torfaen) (Lab)]

The deployment of military personnel to deal with wildfires in Wales was very important this summer. Does the Minister agree that, now that UK and Welsh Government summits have taken place and there is additional money in the Welsh budget, we need a plan on wildfire prevention and resilience ahead of next summer?

[Anna McMorrin]

I pay tribute to my right hon. Friend for his work with his community, and the commoners and firefighters in his constituency. I also pay tribute to all our firefighters and military for their role in fighting the wildfires this summer. The Welsh and UK Governments held summits last month and set out a route forward, including the UK Government equipping RAF helicopters to fight fires in remote areas. That is absolutely essential. The Welsh Government are looking to bring in international expertise. This is yet another example of the importance and power of cross-border collaboration.

[Dr Luke Evans (Hinckley and Bosworth) (Con)]

7. What steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Transport to improve cross-border transport connections between Wales and England.